Vinegar

[BlessedMommy]

Okay, something that I don't understand, if you just see the word "vinegar" on a salsa label or salad dressing label, can you assume that that vinegar is gluten free? Or not? I've heard such mixed reviews (and I know that vinegar is typically made from grain) so I play it safe and don't buy any salad dressing or salsa with vinegar unless it's either labeled gluten free or I've checked elsewhere to verify.

 

I'd like to feel less restricted though and be able to know a products status by reading the label. Is that possible?

 

Is the term "vinegar" generally used to describe distilled vinegar? What about when it says "white vinegar?" 

 

Thanks in advance.

[mamaw]

white  vinegar  & apple  cider  vinegar  in the US  are gluten-free... It's  vinegars  like  flavored &  doctored  up  ones you  need to look at  carefully... If  a  product  is made in the  US  &  contains vinegar  I  don't worry about  it.. I do look  at  all flavored  ones  & ones  from outside the US>....years  ago  everyone  said  or  thought  vinegar  was a no no  so  some of what  you have  heard  may be an  old  wise  tale....

[LauraTX]

Just  "White Vinegar" on a label does refer to distilled vinegar.  Just as the distillation process with alcohol, the same goes for vinegar.  On your other thread about alcohol in vanilla, Peter said "The protein can not be vaporized in the still because the molecule is too heavy. The resulting distillate is always gluten-free." And it applies to distilled vinegar as well.  I have seen things that say  just "Vinegar" on a label means it is apple cider or wine vinegar (made from things that do not add gluten) and others saying it is white distilled vinegar.  Either way is safe.

 

Some special types of vinegar have things added back in, particularly of note is malt vinegar. It is made with barley and is not distilled.  Apple cider vinegar and wine vinegar are safe because they are made from their namesakes which aren't a source of gluten.  

 

In a salad dressing I would be more worried about all the other stuff they added.  Because there is a good selection of gluten-free salad dressings, I only buy ones labeled as gluten-free.

 

A few good reading links:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link  (FDA CFR-has stuff about vinegar in dressings.)

[BlessedMommy]

Thank you! For years, I'd been overly careful about vanilla and vinegar, now I can possibly have more options. So good to have a community where we can ask questions and learn.

 

So, the generic term "vinegar" always refers to white vinegar and if it's malt vinegar, that's clearly specified.

[psawyer]

Malt vinegar will always be labeled as just that. Any other type of vinegar is gluten-free. The single-word ingredient "vinegar" in Canada means apple cider vinegar, which may or may not be distilled, but is gluten-free in either case.